Jets should steer clear of tempting Jarvis Landry sweepstakes

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry could be the explosive playmaker that the New York Jets are missing.

Landry has been nothing short of electric since the Dolphins took him in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft. The LSU product has managed to catch more than 80 passes in each of his four seasons and last season, he set a career-high in receptions with a whopping 112 catches.

The Dolphins and Landry have failed to come to terms on contract talks, as Miami has given the receiver permission to seek a trade. Landry, who previously threatened he wouldn’t play on the franchise tag, walked those comments back, but a trade is still likely.

With Landry on the block, wouldn’t it be the perfect opportunity for the Jets to pounce on a star who could expedite the rebuilding process?

Not so fast.

Acquiring Landry would mean that general manager Mike Maccagnan would have to enter a bidding war for his services. Not only would the Jets have to part with assets to acquire him, but they would also have to lock him up in order to keep the star healthy. With almost $100 million in salary cap space at his disposal, is it necessary for Maccagnan to give up valuable assets when he could go out and sign a wide receiver in free agency if he really wanted one?

Let’s take into account what the Dolphins are looking for in terms of a return for Landry. On Saturday afternoon, rumors surfaced of a potential trade between Miami and the Chicago Bears involving Chicago’s star running back, Jordan Howard. While that report has since been disputed, it demonstrates what Landry is worth.

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In the past two seasons, Howard has run for 2,435 yards and 15 touchdowns. Take into account Howard’s production combined with the fact that he’s only 23 years old and playing on a rookie contract and there’s no way the Jets would want to match that kind of return, or anything close to it.

If avoiding a bidding war wasn’t enough of an incentive for the Jets to remain out of the Landry sweepstakes, New York doesn’t have much of a need at the position heading into 2018.

Quincy Enunwa is set to return after missing all of 2017 with a neck injury, the always reliable Jermaine Kearse will be back for another season and Robby Anderson should be back despite a tumultuous offseason.

Even if Anderson doesn’t return, the Jets are set with two solid receivers, not to mention ArDarius Stewart and Chad Hansen took major strides at the end of their rookie campaigns. If Maccagnan feels New York really needs a wide receiver, he could always go out and sign a player like Allen Robinson, which would be much more cost-effective.

Since taking over as the GM in 2015, Maccagnan has not made a habit of making rash trades. Instead, he has thrived on making deals with fair returns on both sides. Look for that trend to continue, as Landry is not worth the lucrative return that the Jets would be required to give up.

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